While Cat's Away
by M2S
Summary: Fantasy of the swinggraveyard reuniting (briefly). Gr,S, N, W friendship. Companion piece to Biting the Bullet that I wrote, though can be read independently.


Disclamer: Don't Own Them

A/N - this is a fluffy companion to a casefile I wrote called "Biting the Bullet", though you don't have to read it. In that story, I mention that the swing and graveyard shift had reunited for the week Catherine and Gil were out of Vegas. This is the realization of that fantasy. Consider this pre-Committed and Weeping Willows.

* * *

While Cat's Away ...

They all sat in the regular booth at the diner. They were exhausted and it showed. Sara was leaned against the wall with Warrick beside her. Greg and Nick had sat across from them on the other side of the booth. It was a scene that had rotated all week.

They were making fun at Greg's expense when Nick's cell phone rang. He picked it up to see who was calling.

"It's Catherine," he said in surprise. He answered the phone. Catherine and Gil were supposed to have been at a seminar for the week, though when Nick had tried to call her at the hotel, they had already checked out. They were all surprised at what Nick said next.

"Sounds like we should be checking up on you. I tried to call you at your hotel and they said you had checked out. What exactly are you and Dr. Crawly up to?" he asked. At that Warrick burst into laughter. Greg was giggling insanely and Sara wassilently gigglinginto her hand. Their snickers gave way to more laughter during Nick's conversation, causing him to wave his hand menacingly.

"Sure Mom. We'll clean up. Promise. You'll never even know we had the kegger in your office," Nicky said, in a tone that belied the sarcastic words. The table listening totally lost it then. They could only wonder what Catherine and Grissom thought.

"While Cat's away ... the mice will play," Greg said after Nick hung up the cell phone. Sara giggled in a very un-Sara way. They were all punchy from the doubles they had been pulling. They were fatigued but sort of exhilarated from being together all week.

"Sanders, are you saying that we are the mice? You would, you lab rat," Warrick said. This caused Sara to explode in those disconcerting giggles. She had all but collapsed against Warrick's side. Greg was a little envious.

"We all need some sleep," Nick said, shaking his head and grinning at Sara, which set her off again. She drank some of her water to stop the giggles. She had gotten like this one time in college, working on senior projects. She and her project partners had stayed up for three days straight, living on caffeine and sugar. Her project partner had taken great measures to keep her giggling like an idiot. She took a deep breath and stared at what remained of her pancakes.

"We've still got at least three days to go before Gris and Cath return. And so far, Vegas has shown no inclination to slow down in it's criminal tendencies," Warrick said, sighing. He had been all for the OT at the beginning of the week, but right now he didn't feel like all the coffee in the world could keep him going. Still, it had been an interesting week, and he had enjoyed working with Sara again, though he would never tell her that straight up. Working with Sanders had been fun too. He liked being an instructor more than he realized.

"Well, by my watch we have less than 7 hours before swing shift starts. Are we drawing straws or rock, paper, scissors to see who has to go in at 3 o'clock and who gets to wait until 7?" Nick asked. Everyone just looked at him. "OK, rock, paper, scissors it is."

"Just what are Gris and Cath doing in South Carolina anyway?" Sanders asked. "I thought they were in Atlanta. And how in the hell does paper really beat rock?"

Earlier in the Week ...

Sara woke to her cell phone. At first she hadn't recognized it. Greg had downloaded a ringtone that soundedlike some System of a Down song and she still wasn't used to it. The ID read "Sofia".

"Sidle," Sara said.

"Sara, it's Sofia. We have a triple homicide at the Golden Nugget. I know you aren't on call, but if you could come in a little early, it would be great. Warrick and Nick are slammed with this, and with Gil and Catherine gone to the seminar, we need all hands on deck. I'm on route to a B&E out in Henderson. I can't get a hold of Greg, so if you can, please keep trying him."

Sara had looked at the time. 8 pm, four hours before she should have been going to work. She wished she had gone straight to bed when she came home, but she had been drawn to that new department store at the mall. In her quest to remake herself, she had decided to wear only the most comfortable, but sexy underwear she could find. Now she was addicted. But it gave her a little bounce in her step to know that what she had on under her clothes would stop all the guys in their tracks. Not that any guys had seen her underwear lately. Greg said he hadn't even peeked when they were getting those detox showers. But she had.

"I have got to get a date," she groaned. "Or just sex." Of course, she had no time for either at the moment, so she jumped into the shower.

Warrick and Nick had been glad to see her. It was like old times. She and Nick had fallen into their habit of flirting and finishing each other's sentences. Then Warrick had played referee when they had gotten into it later at the lab.

"Sar, you always assume the worst about any male intentions in any situation. The evidence is not telling us that this guy shot those two girls!" Nick had protested. She was just thinking aloud, trying to make sense of the evidence.

"Yeah, well you're always the last to see the dark motives these guys have," she had spat back. They were fuming at each other across the worktable.

"Enough!" Warrick had said. "Sidle, go find Greg's stash and make us some coffee. Please," he had added. Sara stomped off.

"She can make me so damn mad sometimes," Nick huffed. "She just makes me crazy."

"You two are like yin and yang. That's why you work so well together. And that's why you fight," Warrick said, sighing. He and Sara didn't fight the way she and Nick did. At the beginning of their working relationship, they had fought, but it had been bitter. It wasn't like the way she and Nick fought and quickly made up. But then, maybe he wasn't as empathetic as either one of them. "But admit it, you've missed her," he said to his friend.

"Yeah, I have. I hate this split shift crap Rick," Nick said. Warrick patted Nick on the back and pushed him towards the break room where Sara was waiting. She and Nick took one look at each other and started smiling embarrassedly.

"Now, if you two are done with this middle school act, we've got more evidence to process. Where the hell is Sanders?" Warrick said.

"Are you saying my name in vain?" Greg asked, walking into the room. He sniffed the air. "You've been into my coffee!" he said accusingly to Sara. She shrugged.

"Where you been Greggo? We've been trying to contact you all evening," Nick said, taking a cup of the purloined coffee from Sara. "We have a shit load of work to do."

"I was indisposed," Greg said, haughtily. Nick and Sara shared a grin.

"What's her name?" asked Warrick. Greg tried to look innocent.

All four CSI's worked throughout the graveyard shift. Sofia had shown up from her case in Henderson and immediately went to a carjacking on the other side of the city. At the end of the shift, they sat in the break room.

"We've got so much work to do, still," complained Greg. Sara only raised her eyebrows in agreement. Warrick was sipping on a bottle of Coke that had gotten hot around 2 am that morning. He hadn't thought to put it back into the fridge. Now he was thinking about stealing one of Hodges' Cokes.

"Let's all go home and get some sleep. Nick, you and Warrick especially," Sofia said.

"Well, I for one plan to come in early tonight guys," Sara said. "I can't leave you high and dry with all this work to do."

"Me too," Greg echoed. He couldn't be shown up. He was still in the doghouse because he hadn't come in early anyway.

"How about this?" Nick said. "Warrick and I will come in at regular time. Sara, you and Greggo come in around 8. Then Warrick and I will work until 4 am, and we all get some OT and hopefully, some rest."

They had agreed and went their separate ways.

The next shift had seen all four coming in with the swing shift and graveyard. They met in the break room at the end of the night and Nick had a suggestion.

"Both shifts are short, we've got a damn crime wave. Why don't we all work together this week? We can take turns working doubles and just working 1.5's. We all get OT and best of all, Sara and Greg get to work with me," he had said. Sara had rolled her eyes and Greg had chuckled. Warrick looked at Nick like he had gone crazy. But then, he looked over at Sara and Greg and thought about how good it felt to be a team again. Plus, a fat check would be nice. He had his eye on a few things.

"Let's do it," he said. Sara looked surprised.

"We'll never get the OT approved. Gil and Cath …" she started.

"Aren't here," said Nick. He grinned. "I bet Greg here could sweet talk Sofia into going along," he offered. Greg blanched.

"No. I can't even sweet talk Sara into letting me drive," he said.

"She's your team mate," said Warrick.

"OK, rock, paper, scissors," said Nick.

"Every time we do this, someone ends up with a shirt off," complained Warrick, alluding to times he or Nick had to dive into a pool.

"Well, maybe this time it will be Sara," Nick joked, rewarded with a smack in the back of the head by the CSI in question. In the end, it _was_ Sara who had to sweet talk Sofia, which actually went very well. Sara was able to make it sound so logical and beneficial to all involved, including Sofia, who would get to play at supervisor again. Sofia also knew that it would drive Conrad Ecklie crazy, which was a bonus.

The rest of the week played out too quickly for the crew. Though they were tired, they had enjoyed being a real team again.

Warrick found out that Greg's kit was now tight, just like his.

Greg found out that Nick had begun listening to Miles Davis, courtesy of Warrick's influence.

Nick found out that Sara and Greg had showered together, and that Greg had a really unusual birthmark. And that Sara had taken his advice and started reading Larry McMurtry sometimes and not just Michael Crichton and forensic journals.

Sara found out that Warrick had a Big'n'Rich CD in his Tahoe. "Isn't this a country group?" she had asked. Warrick had protested that it was Nick's. Sara didn't believe him.

Nick found out the name of the girl who had kept Greg _indisposed_.

Warrick found out that Sara now had an underwear addiction. He told her to check out Le Perla.

The last night of their shift, they had cut out early, telling Sofia to page the dayshift. They were beat. She laughed and told them to suck it up, though in not so many words. But she didn't page them.

They headed to Nick's, where he fired up the grill. Sara wrinkled her nose at the grilling steaks.

"I can't watch this," she said.

"Don't worry, babe. I got you covered too. Eggplant and portabella mushrooms with red and green peppers," Nick said, uncovering a dish with marinating vegetables.

"Thanks," she said, putting an arm around Nick's neck, but still avoiding his stained apron. It was an apron that declared, "Big Grill Daddy".

"Don't thank Tex. I'm the one who brought the vegetables," Warrick protested. Sara poked at Nick and then gave Warrick a friendly pat on the back.

"You guys are the best," she said. "I'm going to mix some more margaritas." Warrick and Nick looked at each other, which Sara caught.

"It's OK. I swear I'm not a raging alcoholic. And I'm not depressed," Sara said. The guys didn't look convinced. "Do you want me to call my counselor and get her permission?"

"We just got your back, like always," said Warrick.

"Always," echoed Nick, though he was slightly sidetracked by a large flame up on the grill.

Greg chose that moment to walk out with a pitcher full of cold margaritas.

"Hey, you read my mind," exclaimed Sara.

"Its becoming habit," Greg said, smirking at he poured each of his co-workers a drink.

Within a couple of hours, the four sat in Nick's small yard, full of food and drinks, relaxed and slightly drunk, each dreading the fact that in several hours, they would have to go to work again.

"I hate to say this, but I kind of dread Gris and Catherine coming back," said Greg, voicing an opinion that they all held. "Don't get me wrong, I like both of them, but I like working with you guys too," he explained, lifting his drink to Nick and Warrick. They all echoed the sentiment, each eyeing the other.

"I love you guys," said Sara, grabbing hold of Warrick, who was sitting on the lounge chair with her and hugging him. She was a bit drunk, but she really meant what she said. Jealous, Nick walked over and grabbed Sara as well.

"We love y'all too," he said, for him and Warrick.

Greg walked over to the tipsy group and involved himself into what had become a group hug. "This would have never happened without those double strength margaritas," he thought to himself. They stayed in the hug for a moment when Greg said aloud, "Do we get to have group sex now?" and was pelted with three plastic, not quite empty margarita glasses.

Later that day, Sara woke up to hear Nick singing slightly off key in the shower. She could smell omelets and rose up from Nick's bed. Her mouth was dry and her tongue felt thick. She could remember the impromptu party, the grilling and the margaritas. She could not remember how she got in Nick's bed. She looked down and was relieved the see that she was still in her clothes.

Nick came out of the shower looking refreshed and perkier than he had any right to be.

"Morning Sunshine," he said, walking to his closet and picking out a shirt. He already had on his jeans. Sara admired his form while trying to hide her gaze through lowered eyelids.

"Morning," she croaked.

"Warrick's cooking in the kitchen. Shower's yours if you want it," Nick said. Sara definitely wanted it. "And don't worry, Warrick brought you in here after you fell asleep on the couch and snored your way through our X-Box tournament," he added, giving her one of his million watt smiles. She flipped him off and shuffled into his master bathroom.

When she came into the living room, Greg was still asleep on Nick's couch, sprawled in what looked to be the most uncomfortable position ever. Warrick handed her a plate with a green chili and cheese omelet. She smiled and sat down, watching the news. Warrick was wearing a tight white tank undershirt and looking very capable and fine for it. Sara thought about something Catherine had said a long time ago when they were working a case. They could all pool their resources and get a house together. She had been kidding of course, but with the views Sara was getting this morning, it didn't seem too bad of an idea. Warrick walked over and handed her a glass of orange juice.

"Service with a smile," she said, grinning at him. He gave her a little smirk and returned to his own omelet.

"Reckon we should wake sleeping beauty here?" Nick asked, motioning to Greg.

"He definitely needs a shower. He smells like tequila," Sara said. "And I don't want to work with him smelling like tequila all evening." Her stomach lurched at the thought.

Greg woke with a start when Nick shook him. He ambled to the bathroom without saying a word.

"Hey, we'll find out how he gets his hair to do that," said Warrick. "I've always wondered."

That night's shift wasn't too bad, considering that they all were slightly hung over. Sara and Greg were in the break room, laughing about Nick's rendition of "I Will Survive" (a challenge from Warrick), when Sara saw Gil through the glass.

"Catherine and Gris must be back," she said to Greg. Gil was looking at them in a strange way. He was so unreadable to her. He looked as if he were going to walk in and talk to them. Sara splayed her fingers out and gave him a waggled finger wave. He nodded curtly and walked towards his office.

"He doesn't look like his trip with Catherine was as much fun as our time here," Greg said.

"No, he doesn't. Too bad," was all Sara had in reply.


End file.
